Francis Ford Coppola’s custom watch fetches record sum after ‘Megalopolis’ losses

Francis Ford Coppola sells custom watch following ‘Megalopolis’ losses

Hollywood legend Francis Ford Coppola has sold one of his most unique personal items for a record-breaking price following the financial strain caused by his ambitious film, Megalopolis.

The director’s custom-designed F.P. Journe FFC Prototype wristwatch fetched US$10.8 million at a Phillips auction in New York.

The one-of-a-kind timepiece, co-designed by Coppola himself, went to an anonymous phone bidder after 11 minutes of competitive bidding.

The sale marks the highest price achieved for a watch at a US auction since Paul Newman’s famed Daytona sold in 2017.

The luxury watch carries a distinctive provenance, having been worn by the Godfather director when Megalopolis premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024.

Paul Boutros, Deputy Chairman and Head of Watches, Americas at Phillips, described the watch as “the ultimate creative collaboration between two of the greatest minds in cinematic and horological history” and noted the “well-deserved world record result.”

The sale comes as Coppola, now 85, continues to grapple with the financial fallout from Megalopolis, which he reportedly financed with US$120 million of his own money.

The star-studded epic, featuring Adam Driver, Shia LaBeouf, and Aubrey Plaza, grossed only US$14.4 million worldwide, leaving the filmmaker with substantial losses.

In interviews earlier this year, Coppola candidly admitted the impact of the film on his finances, explaining that the money he invested is “basically gone” and that recovery would likely take “15 or 20 years.”

Alongside the sale of the watch, another personal asset of the director has changed hands. Coral Caye, a 2.5-acre private island in Belize where Coppola frequently vacationed, was reportedly sold for US$1.8 million following the conclusion of his nine-year lease.

The auction and private sales highlight how even Hollywood legends sometimes take bold personal risks, and the extraordinary items they own can become part of that story.